International Break thread

[magik9113]

3 world cups in a row without Italy would be a disaster

It’s been a disaster since the first one.
It is a genuine possibility

Part of me expects Spaletti to be replaced by the return of Mancini

[wco81]

3 world cups in a row without Italy would be a disaster

It’s been a disaster since the first one.
It is a genuine possibility

Part of me expects Spaletti to be replaced by the return of Mancini

Wow, I didn't realize that they haven't appeared since 2014.

Only major European power who hasn't been in the last WC or the one before.

They are still fourth in appearances with 18, behind Brazil with 22, Germany with 20 and Argentina with 19. Ahead of Spain, England and France, each with 16 appearances.

[KG Leonard]

Norway are giving Italy the beatdown in an important qualifier. This ought to be Spalletti’s last game in charge

It is not the coach's job producing new players, Italian football leadership, the clubs has totally failed.

It is tragic state of order that Norway has better, more famous players. I know Sorloth scored 4 goals for Atletico in a single game, we know the level of Haaland, Odegaard. They should win easy vs Retegui, Zappacosta, Coppola, Raspadori. You have to create goals to win games...

You haven't produced better striker than a D-list Argentinian and no attacking midfielders on the field at all? The land of Totti, Del Piero, Inzaghi, Vialli, Zola, Pirlo and Roberto Baggio?

[The_Brecht]

When your defense is the worst part of your team, you shouldn't be playing as high a line as we do.
Faes is a disaster waiting to happen and Meunier is at the end of his career.

We were leading 0-1 in the 60th minute and Garcia subs off De Bruyne, Vanaken and both left and right back.
He replaces those last two with two centre backs who then have to play on the side.

I don't get that at all.

[magik9113]

Norway are giving Italy the beatdown in an important qualifier. This ought to be Spalletti’s last game in charge

It is not the coach's job producing new players, Italian football leadership, the clubs has totally failed.

It is tragic state of order that Norway has better, more famous players. I know Sorloth scored 4 goals for Atletico in a single game, we know the level of Haaland, Odegaard. They should win easy vs Retegui, Zappacosta, Coppola, Raspadori. You have to create goals to win games...

You haven't produced better striker than a D-list Argentinian and no attacking midfielders on the field at all? The land of Totti, Del Piero, Inzaghi, Vialli, Zola, Pirlo and Roberto Baggio?

No coach could win a tournament with this Italy team but to continually not show up and have a total lack of spirit game after game is why the coach must be gone.

The last time Italy played Norway [unless I’m forgetting a game in between] was in 2016. This is who Antonio Conte had starting midfield and forward, in a game that Italy won:
In a 3-5-2 the two strikers were Eder and Graziano Pelle.
The midfield 5 was
Darmian Florenzi Montolivo Soriano DeSciglio

Conte picked Eder and Pelle to be his strikers. They were complete nobodies at the time. Pelle was playing in Netherlands for Christ sake.
This team lost to Germany in pks in the euro quarter finals.


Sure, Italy’s roster sucks. But we also had players go deep in the champions league, the best gk in the world, and serie A’s leading goal scorer: Retegui. Call him what you want but of course he isn’t going to score goals for Italy if the team can’t get him the ball.

Coppola should never have received a debut in an important game but our defensive injury crisis is pretty bad. Replace him with Calafiori and it’s totally different back there.

I absolutely did not want to see zappacosta get called up but when he was helping Atalanta destroy Leverkusen in the EL final last season, everyone was wondering when he’d wear an Italy jersey again.

Raspadori’s continual callups are another reason we all want Spalletti gone.

With the defensive injuries, and a roster lacking in talent, the coach has to stop going into games thinking we’re going to control them. Even when Italy were a dominant force, that was rarely the strategy.


And it’s a Norway team that also has not qualified for major tournaments. Sure they have four great players but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

[El Turco]

Italy's roster might be subpar in Italian standards but certainly more than good enough to qualify for the world cups. Many squads worse than Italy's have qualified for the world cup since 2018 so it shouldnt be an excuse.

Football managers should be able to manage both club and country at the same time like they do in basketball. It wont happen but someone like Conte could have right the ship. It's getting quite difficult to convince top-level coaches to focus solely on a national team, usually coaches who are on the path to retirement prefer this.

[magik9113]

Spalletti is OUT as Italy coach, as expected.

He will still be coaching their game on Monday vs Maldova. Will likely be awkward for him and the players

[magik9113]

1-1 here in the first half between Spain and Portugal ... Nations League Finals

[stormi]

left back Nuno Mendes puts it top bins on his attempt and next up comes Alvaro Morata to swing a limp leg right into Costa's arms.

Ultimate ick are strikers that can't hit ball. Samu should be the guy going forward for Spain.

[KG Leonard]

Didn't look like Spain took this seriously with barely no subs and playing it like the friendly it is. I can understand the coach playing 20 year old defenders, Mingueza types. Portugal played it like it was more than it is. They are good at terrible choice for coaches, they won't win anything else anyway.

Looks like the system that is Argentina is the big fav for WC, Spain without Rodri not likely.

[magik9113]

Congrats to Portugal. Nuno Mendes had himself a game

[wco81]

England losing to Senegal, the first time they lose to an African team, a big deal?

Or it's just a friendly?

[The_Brecht]

Tuchel is overrated. I've always said this and I will forever stand by that statement.

[magik9113]

England losing to Senegal, the first time they lose to an African team, a big deal?

Or it's just a friendly?

Just a friendly is my take

[KG Leonard]

Just a friendly plus Tuchel's England struggled scoring a goal vs Andorra. Im not impressed Senegal won vs this version of England. Looks terrible even compared to the worst of Southgate. Tuchel has maybe lost it ala Mourinho?

[Baphomet]

I think people are overreacting a bit, which is normal. England lost a Nations League game 4-0 to Hungary with a stronger team than the one we put out against Senegal, a few months before WC 2022. It's just been long enough that people have forgotten the worst of Southgate.

If they play like this in a major tournament, I'll be concerned. But we also won't be playing a back four of Colwill, Chalobah, Lewis-Skelly and a finished Kyle Walker. Eze was the only player who looked like international quality in that game, to be honest. Kane scored but he and a few others looked exhausted, understandably.